The Sun. — London, England, 1836-07-21 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS In the Chronicle of Monday we stated that the new arrangements between the Post-offices of Paris and London had come into operation in the former city on the 15th. By these arrangements our readers, were apprised that letters might be thenceforth sent from France to England without any postage having been paid in advance, or it might be paid either par tially or entirely. The convenience which this portion of the arrangement afforded, has, since the 15th, been taken advantage of at Paris ; but, owing to some cause as yet unexplained, the authorities at our Post office have not been as yet instructed to carry the treaty into effect, and they have continued to receive and de liver all French correspondence under the old system. A great deal of confusion and serious inconvenience has resulted from this management. Letters have been received, the entire postage of which was paid at Paris, and yet they have been charged the usual postage from the frontier at the Post-office. So letters, no part of the postage of which was paid at Paris, are charged only the usual postage from the frontier, leav ing the French Government to recover the amount of conveyance from Paris to Calais as they best may. No explanation has been as yet given of this embar rassing mistake ; but we cannot imagine that the financial difficulties it has created will be so difficult of adjustment as some parties appear to suppose. The following notice was yesterday posted at the dif ferent establishments :—" Letters for France may no Ar be forwarded without payment of the previous postage ;" and we presume it is also intended henceforth to give effect to the other stipulations of the treaty. So that the difficulty is greatly diminished by being limited to the postage of two French mails. While adverting to this subject, we must express our regret that the English negotiators of the treaty did not exert them selves to procure the more expeditious transmission of the Spanish mail through France. Look to the case of the mail between Paris and Bordeaux. The post from Paris to Bordeaux is conveyed in 40 or 42 hours ; but the returning mail from Bordeaux to Paris is delayed for more than sixty hours. Thus, the journals published, and the letters written, in Paris this evening (Thursday), are in Bordeaux at mid-day on Saturday ; but advices which leave Bordeaux at the same time, are from 20 to 24 hours longer en route. This is monstrous. That it can be remedied is perfectly plain, from the statement we have made. Why is it that time of so much importance to the public should be wasted by those worse than use less stoppages upon the road ? What is the object of detaining the post for whole hours at such places as Tours, Blois, Orleans ? Private individuals cannot command the assistance of special couriers, still less of telegraphs, though, en masse, they arc not less in terested in the expeditious conveyance of news than Governments and reputed stock-jobbers. Why should a Cabinet Minister, or a speculator at the Bourse, pos sess an advantage of which the public are robbed, that they may be enriched ? Information of the very highest moment from the seat of war and Madrid is detained for an entire day in the distance from Bor deaux to Paris alone. This is very shameful, and ought to be remedied. The British public are so deeply interested in this matter, that we trust it will be taken. into consideration in the proper quarter.— Morning Chronicle. We congratulate the public on the p a us e w hi c h t h e energy of the independent Whigs has occasioned in the Church Bill. Never was there a more universal expression in the House of Commons of disgust and contempt—a feeling that all the toil of reform was sacrificed to the interests of a set of men whose power it was the great object of reform to control. The Com mons must exert all their energies on Friday, or the indignation of the Liberals in the Commons will in sure the success of the Bill in the Lords. Among other follies which this Bid contains, is the creation o! . fresh bishops. Why, the invention of bishops is a work of dark ages, and requires centuries of habit to enable human nature to endure it. To invent a Bishop of Manchester is like inventing Gog or Magog in 1836. TlNlany will be the decayed vegetables and the putrescent cogs which will he hurled against the modern mitre of this cotton clergyman. Englishmen will bear a good deal, hut not a Bishop of Manchester. But the gieatcst ohjection to the Bill is the materials of which the Commi.,sion is composed—all inflicters, and no sufferers—all bishops, no prebendaries, rectors, and vicars. The consequence is, that the Bills are Bills for gratifying all th e p r i va t e sp i tes o f t h e Bi s h op of London. The Bishop had a quarrel with the Hon. and Rev. Mr. Ca p el, respecting hi s p ower o f obtrud ing, a curate upon the incumbent ;—of course a clause is introduced to give to him that power in the fullest manner. The same Bishop (panting for something to do) attempted to break to pieces the livings of St. Paul's Cathedral. He was defeated. Immediately a second clause is introduced, giving to the Commis sioners (1. e. himself) a power of dividing th,c in any manner he pleases, and this is called a Bill for reforming the Church, instead of a Bill for pleasina, particular :Bishop ; a learned, agreeable, able man : but with a love of power which knows no bounds, and a violence of temper in exercising it which admits of no excuse.—Morning Chronicle. The conduct of the Ministry in the approachino, crisis must either fix them more firmly than ever in the confidence and good opinion of the country, or leave them to drift along a helpless, hclmless body, the sport of every party who may choose to buffet them. There is no middle course open for them—they must either adhere unflinchingly to the principles which have hi therto maintained them in office, or, if they hesitate, b e lust. Their fate is in their own hands. Hitherto the Melbontne Ministry has for time most part evinced a most laudable desire to avoid the rocks on which the Grey Ministry was wrecked, namely, vacillation, ti midity, and a spirit of concession, which, instead of conciliating, made them contemptible in the eyes of their opponents. In last Session the firm and dignified refusal of the Noble Premier to return to the House of Commons an Irish Church Bill mutilated of the appro priation clause, gave to his Administration a stronger hold on national support than all the speeches, eloquent and liberal as many of them were, of his colleagues during the whole Session. Every concession made to the Tories is attrib u t e d b y them' to pusillanimity— they never themselves yield to the dictates of any feel ing but their fears, and, consequently, do not under stand the operation of a more generous or less das tardly motive in others—therefore they are not to be coaxed, but kicked into an acquiescence with the de mands of expediency and sound policy. The Mel bourne Ministry must rule the age with a rod o f i ron, or becom e t h e object of their contempt and scorn. What has the Ministry to fear ? How were they re instated in office ? The Court---the Aristocracy —th e Tories—the creatures of corruption—a large body in every part of the kingdom, felt bound to oppose them as a matter of life or death ; yet the will of the people —cc that species in natural history"—prevailed over all these, and established the position that if a monarch may appoint, it is the people, and the people only, who can confirm any Ministry in Great Britain. We shall not go back to former Sessions to adduce the almost innumerable instances wherein moderation on the part of the Liberals has provoked aggression on the part of their enemies—there is a striking illustration at hand in the proposition of his Grace of Canterbury on Tuesday night, for the apportioning of the tenth of all wastelands hereafter to be reclaimed to the benefit of the Church. Had the Established Church Bill boldly swept away the more flagrant abuses of the Church_ at once abolished pluralities, and the translation of bi shops, and reduced the revenues of the bishops to such a sum as would maintain them in respect and comfort, and not in luxury and profligacy, this grasping, over reaching proposition would never have been made. But Churchmen are notorious for driving hard bargains, and his Grace of Canterbury was no doubt desirous of securing a compensation from the waste lands for the reduction of his income to the pittance cy . 15,0001: a year ! But even at this trifling annuity we are not apprehensive of any vacancies being left unoccupied % righteous a n d verac i ous p l ea of .Noliepiscopari, k A eat ged by candidates f o r apost o li ca l h onours. 4-4114, at Ministers will no t p ress th e Estab .,..,- h Bill this Session. We can assure them -1013VcientlAbat the people would much rather leave sub* /as it is, than accept such a mockery of "*. armatkoA as is proposed. Should the measure be , carried into law, it will merely have the effect of alienating from the Ministry the confidence of the people, and giving to the Tories an opportunity, when a more equitable system is proposed, of exclaiming, " You are never satisfied. We consider the question to be finally settled. There is no limit to the de mands of Reformers," and, like Hamlet stopping short in apprehension of the ghost, protesting, "we shall go no farther." For these reasons we should strongly recommend the measure to be postponed. The people will not, ought not to be satisfied with it ; and in plain truth, the Ministers incur suspicion and odium in making themselves instruments to carry into effect propositions avowedly emanating from their opponents. We beg to direct our readers to an excellent com mentary on this subject, published in our paper of this day, from our uncompromising contemporary The Sun. Morning Advertiser. SECOND EDITION. SUN OFFICE, Seven o' Clock. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT, (THIS EVENING. HOUSE OF COMMONS. The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual time. SWANSEA HARBOUR BILL. On the motion of Mr. BROTHERTON the Lords' Amendments to this Bill were agreed to. DUDLEY VICARAGE BILL. Mr. HALSE brought up the report of the Committee on this Bill. SEE OF DURHAM. Mr. BROTHERTON presented a petition from the inhabitants of Billington, in the county palatine of Durham, praying that the revenues of the See of Durham might not, be alienated, but that they might be applied to the aug mentation of small livings within the Diocese. The Hon. Member said he had another petition to present of a rather unusual character, to which he prayed the particular atten tion of the House. It was the petition of an individual of the name of John Bellamy, of Wells-street, Gray's Inn road, and the petitioner stated that having witnessed the effect of certain Deistical writings, and having given his attention for years to the study of the Hebrew language, he, with the approbation oflearned bishops anddivines, undertook to translate the Scriptures from the Hebrew—the present authorised version not having been translated from the Hebrew but from other translations. The petitioner stated that he had been constantly occupied for a period of forty eight years in this work—that he has translated the whole of the Bible, from Genesis and Malachi, and that a consi derable portion of the work had been printed and published. He stated that the objections of the Deists had no founda tions as regarded the original text—that they were founded on mistranslation and misrepresentation, and the petitioner here cited a great number of passages, and contrasted his translation with the authorised version, but with these he would not trouble the House. The petitioner stated that the original work was in strict accordance with the laws of nature—that no one part of the Scriptures in the original contradicted another—that God was not inconsistent with himself in sanctioning at one time what he prohibited at another, and that in no way did the Scriptures sanction polygamy, adultery, incest, robbery, or crime of any other description ; and he vindicated the characters of Noah, Abraham, and Lot, and the other worthies of Scripture, and these he conceived were most important truths at the present day. The petitioner went on to state that lie did not hope that his translation would be allowed to take place of the authorised version, but as it had been made directly from the Hebrew text, he hoped that in any version of the Scriptuaes his translation would be taken into consideration. Ile hoped that Parliament would receive his statements as not unworthy of attention in a national point of view. He (Mr. Brotherton) had felt it his duty to present this petition MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS (IRELAND). Sir A. L. HAY presented a petition from Banff regret ing that justice had not been done to Ireland with regard to her Municipal Corporations, and praying the House to introduce, as speedily as possible, a measure based upon the same principles as that which they had passed this ses sion. OMNIBUSSES. Dr. BOWRING presented a petition from George Shillibeer, stating that in consequence of the defective state of the law regarding vehicles, he had sacrificed upwards of 10,000/., and praying the interference of the House, in order that such laws might be made as would protect the property of individuals, and secure the public. The petition stated that in order to do this it was necessary that the police ;should have more extensive power. He (Dr. Bowrin. , ) was of opinion that the more the Legislature in terfered in matters of this description the less would be the public convenience. The SPEAKER said the Hon. Member could not enter into any details on the presentation of the petition. Dr. BO WRI NG had also a petition to present from the Town Council of Dunbarton, approving of the plan of Scotch Municipal Reform. The Hon. Member gave no tice that to-morrow he should present a petition from Hugh Craig, of Kilmarnock, complaining of the conduct of the Scotch Church, in dismissing him from the office of Elder, for presiding at a public meeting, praying for a separation of Church and State. Mr. HUME gave notice that he should to-morrow pre sent a petition, from an individual complaining of very oppressive conduct pursued towards him by the Scotch Church. DUBLIN POST-OFFICE. Mr. WI LKS presented a petition of which he had given notice, from C. D. Devitt, for 17 years employed in the General Post-office, Dublin. The petitioner had in 1829 discovered some frauds which were practised by his superiors in office to the amount of 5,0001., of which he had immediately given notice to his superiors, and Lords Ross and O'Neil, the Post-Nlasters General for Ireland. A pro secution was directed—one of the parties absconded to America, and the other was convicted and sentenced to seven years' tranportation. Efforts had been maF.e to im pute impropriety to the petitioner ; but he had obtained a certificate from the judges who had tried the case, bearing testimony to his disinterestedness. Nothwithstanding which he bad been in the year 1835 dismissed without notice. His wife was the keeper of a receiving -hous e in Dublin, from which she also was discharged. She died of a broken heart in the course of a year, and the petitioner, after seventeen years' faithful and honest service, was turned out on the world with ten children to support. Ile had now been struggling nearly four years in order to receive jus tice, which bad been advocated by all parties, by Lord Oxmantown, the son of Lord Ross, who was one of the Postmasters-General at the time ; by the Hon. and Learned Member for Dublin University ( Mr. Shaw), and by the Hon. and Learned Member for Kilkenny (Mr. O'Connell)—all par ties advocated his claims. In Aug., 1835, the Treasury took the case into their consideration, and stated, that upon in vestigation they found that the petitioner had been accom modated with sums of money according to the practice of the Irish Post-office, and that he must either have connived at the irregularity or was ignorant of his duty ; but that they would allow him what arrears of pay were due to him at the time of his dismissal. That was contrary to the testimony of the superiors in the office of the joint Postmasters-General of Ireland, and of the Judges who tried the case to which al lusion had been made. He had sometimes received advances of money on account of the current quarter, which was the universal practice in the office. The judges were of opinion, and successive postmasters were of opinion, that the petitioner was entitled to great credit, and that he had been made a victim for having come forward and exposed to the country a most nefarious fraud. Under these circumstances, he was surely entitled to a pension, and to the receipt of the balance of 561. But notwithstanding this minute of the Treasury, he had never received it ; he had applied to the Treasury, they had referred him to the Post-office, and they had referred him to the Irish Post-office. Under these circumstances, it was impossible that things could remain in their present state. In his opinion, it was not only a matter of individual justice, but ofjustice to all persons who might be placed in such a state of circumstances. He would, therefore, now move that the petition should be brought up and read, and on Friday next, he should move for the papers necessary to substantiate the statements in the petition, and for the ap. pointment of a Select Committee thereon. The SPEAKER thought the petition was irregular as money was asked for by it. There was no rule more clear than that no petition could be received that ap plied for money, without the sanction of the House. It was true, that in the present petition, the word money was carefully kept out of the paper ; but still the statements and substance of the petition was to apply for money. He thought peculiar caution ought to be exer cised on r ece i v i ng t h e pe titi on . G reat laxity had been ex ercised on the subject ; but be thought the House ought to revise the rule which till latterly had strictly been adhered to. Mr. WILKS said the prayer of the petition was for a public investigation into circumstances that were necessary for the protection of his character, as the petitioner con tended he had been dismissed without any cause. The SPEAKER said, if the petition was received, it must be upon the understanding that money should be ex cluded.—(Hear, hear.) The petition was then brought up and read. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER con ceived that every subject of the realm who felt that he had been aggrieved by a decision of any part of his Majesty's Government had a just and legitimate claim to approach that House, even though the wrong he had suffered might be of a pecuniary_ nature ; but he had no right, with a view of redress from pecuniary wrongs, to come to the House for a redress of those wrongs in the shape of a pecuniary grant, though he had a right to complain of the wrongs he had received. As the Hon. Member who had presented the petition had stated, that at a future period he should bring the subject of the petition more fully before the House, he thought it should be received. The complaint of the petition was that the petitioner had been deprived of the superannuation allowance, and unless the House was prepared to act upon the suggestion of the Chair, it would be establishing the most inconvenient of all precedents, because they would be opening the door to all private applications for money, which, above all things, it behoved the House to watch with great caution, not only for the interest of the public, but of the House. Mr. HUME had thought the petition was open to the objection which had been stated, but he conceived it might . be allowed to lie o n th e t a bl e ; an d w h e th er it s h ou ld go t o the Committee or not would depend on the case his Hon. Friend might make out. Mr. WILKS moved that the petition be printed, and gave notice that he should, on the 29th of July, bring the matter under the consideration of the House. DUTY ON WHISKEY. Sir RUFANE DONKIN said he had two petitions to present, upon a subject in which the morals and well-being of his constituents were deeply concerned. He trusted the House would bear with him for a moment, while be stated— The SPEAKER—The Hon. Member had better not enter into details. Sir RUFANE DONKIN would occupy the House but a very few moments — The SPEAKER—What is the subject of it? Sir R. DONKIN—It complains of the inequality of the duties on whiskey, Sir.—(Great laughter.) The Hon. Member stated that the petitioners prayed the House would consider the inequality of the duties on Scotch and English whisky, and by removing those inequalities put a stop to the evils they complained of. One of the petitions was signed by the Mayor, Burgesses, and Aldermen, and the other was signed by the inhabitants of Berwick-upon- Tweed. FRENCH CLAIMS. Mr. MACKINNON gave notice that he should move for a Morning Sitting on Thursday next, to consider the sub ject of the French claims. FACTORIES BILL. Mr. WAKLEY presented a petition from the factory labourers of Tewkesbury and Barnsley, praying the House to pass the Ten Hours' Bill. The Hon. Member also presented a petition from Joseph Fielding, schoolmaster of Middleton, praying the House to protect the public in those cases wherein persons were supposed to die from one cause, but in reality from the practice of medical men.—(A laugh.) The petitioner prayed that when a person died under doubtful circumstances, and under the operation of a medical man, the medical practitioner him self may not conduct the examination. The Bill which he had before the House would remedy this evil, if his Majesty's Ministers would allow it to pass this session. LAND LOOM WEAVERS. Lord D. STE WART presented a petition from 900 land loom weavers of Kilmarnock, complaining of distress, and praying the House to pass some measure of relief. The Hon. Member also presented a petition to the same effect from Pollockshawes, in Renfrewshire. SOUTH LONDON CEMETERY. Mr. HARVEY brought up the Report of the South Metropolita❑ Cemetery. Mr. POTTER begged to know if the necessary amend ments had been made in the Bill ? Mr. HARVEY replied in the affirmative. BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE. Mr. BAINES had to complain of a very serious grievance which every Member of the House must have felt. SPEAKER inquired if the Hon. Member had any specific motion to make ? Mr. BAINES intended to give notice of a motion. The SPEAKER—Then the Hon. Member will please to state what it is ?—(A laugh.) Mr. BAINES would have been very glad to state his rea sons, but they were too well known. His motion was, to prevent the necessary interruption of the business of Parliament from forty Members not being present when the Speaker takes the chair, that a quarter of an hour be allowed in order to assemble the suitable number of Mem bers ; and that when it is observed that the proper number of Members are not present, then a quarter of an hour be allowed before the House is counted out. He begged to give that notice for Tuesday next. Mr. ROBINSON gave notice that on Tuesday the ?6th instant, he should present a petition from the underwriters and others interested in the wreck of his Mjesty's ship . The dropped Orders of yesterday were read over for the purpose of being fixed for other days. Mr. WAKLEY complained of the non-attendance of the Members of the Government yesterday, there being only two present, and hoped they would condescend to state when they would have a House on Wednesday ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER thought the rain was much more to blame than the Government for there being no House.—(Hear and laughter.) He was as much disappointed as any one, for he had a notice on the books, and though it was not a Government Bill, he was very anxious to get on with it. He was, therefore, one of those unhappy persons who were suffering from the non attendance of Members. STAMP DUTIES BILL. Mr. ROBINSON said the Chancellor of the Exchequer had promised that he would then be able to inform the House, whether it was his intention to proceed with any other part of the Stamp Duties Bill than that part of it which related to Newspapers. It would be very conve nient for the House to know what course it was intended to take with regard to it. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER sail he did not think that he would be enabled to pass the whole of the Bill during the present Session. There were certain parts of it, however, which he thought it would be his duty to endeavour to carry into a law this session. Mr. WALTER said he had a very important petition to present, and he hoped he would be allowed to do so then. The SPEAKER said it was now 5 o'clock, and the Hon. Member could not present a petition so late. Mr. WALTER said he had given notice of his intention to present it on reading the Order of the Day. The SPEAKER said if the Hon. Member were allowed to present his petition now, other members might claim the same liberty, and they would never get into public business. AGRICULTURAL COMMITTEE. Lord DARLINGTON wished to know from the Noble Lord opposite (Howick) whether this Committee in tended to report this Session ? He had heard with no less regret than astonishment, that the Com mittee had come to the conclusion not to make a report. He was sure if this were the case, that the agri cultural community would feel extreme dissatisfaction. He wished also to hear whether, as it was not intended to make a report, any motion would be brought forward so as to lead to a general discussion of the subject, so that the public might be informed of the reasons that had prevented the Committee from making a report ? Lord HO WICK, as the question had been put to him, had no hesitation in saying that it was certainly a matter of no less surprise to him, to hear that the Gentlemen of the Committee were not prepared to adopt a report.—(Hear, hear.) The motion to this effect had been by the Right Hon. Baronet the Member for Cumberland (Sir James Graham), and seconded by the Noble Lord the Member for Buckinghamshire (Lord Chandos). The members of the Government were perfectly prepared to discuss the proposition of a report which had been made by his Hon. Friend the Member for Hampshire (Mr. Le fevre) ; in deference, however, to the opinions of those Gentlemen immediately connected with the agricultural in terests upon the Committee, they (the Government) ac quiesced in the strong desire that was expressed that there should be no opinion whatever reported.—(Cheers) He would take that opportunity of stating that, previous to this con clusion being adopted, he had ventured to state his sur prise that in a Committee of 25 persons present (IS being county Members), not one of them took any interest in bringing forward any proposal for discussion with a view to relief. If, therefore, the Noble Lord (Darlington) felt disappointed, for that disappointment the members of the Government on the Committee were not responsible.— (Loud cheers.) Sir J. GRAHAM said that as he had been alluded to personally by the Noble Lord, he felt it due to himself to state how the facts really stood. The Noble Lord had entered into disclosures of the reasons given by individual members of a Select Committee, and of the conduct of in dividual members. Mr. H AWES rose to order. If this discussion were continued, any Member of the House who entertained opinions opposite to those of the Right Hon. Baronet would, he hoped, have an opportunity of stating them. Sir J. GRAHAM claimed a right to be heard in expla nation of what had fallen from the Noble Lord (Howick). It was not possible to conceive a subject of greater im portance to the country than this, at the time the motion for a Committee was made. By whom was that motion made ? By the Noble Lord, the Secretary of State for the Home Department. Did the Government undertake the management of the agency ? When a similar inquiry was instituted during the Government of Earl Grey, aCabinet Minister presided over it, and it was carried on under the control of the executive Government. What was done on this occasion ? Did any Membei of the Government take the chair ? and did the Members of the Government on the Committee give a constant attendance during the progress of the inquiry ? The chair was filled by an Honourable Member who supported the Government, but h e was not connected with them ; and as to attendance, a note had been taken of every day's attendance, and by that it would appear what the attendance of the Members of the Government had been. ThO Noble Lord (Howick) said that the Member ' the _ Government had acq&ieseed in there beit No* Lord himself did , . - sie , but he appealed 'o the other •'i • , (the Committee, as , en the course pur sued by the Noble LI 'y of State for the Home Department.—(Lord J. Russell.) He asked whether any Member of the Committee commented in more sovere terms on the proposal that a report should be made than the Noble Lord (Russel) It was, therefore, with astonish ment that he heared from the Noble Lord ( Howick) that the members of tlxovernment had barely acqu:eseed in there being no report,,—(Loud cheers.) He understood the Noble Lord himself (Howick) that nothing would induce him to agree to the report proposed, but that there was a report o another description which he favoured. The Right Hon. Baronet sat down amid cries of " Move, move." Sir J. GRAHAM—Sir, I move that the other Orders of the Day be now read.—(Cheers.) The Marquis of CHAT DOS said that he had opposed this report, and he had done so believing that if the arr 4 report had gone before the countr. as it existc.d_before the Committee, it wgtl ali f hqv''e nio farm to the farmer than any one could posiibly eke e, If there was any blame in doing so he would take upon himself the whole of it. Mr. S. LEFEVRE was sure there was every en deavour on the part of the Committee to sift every ques tion of agricultural distress. He had himself taken every pains upon the subject, his only object being that every person connected with agriculture, who had any thing to complain should have their complaints sifted. With respect to this unfortunate Report, all he could say was, that it was framed with an honest conviction that it was supported by the evidence adduced. He might be right or wrong ; but he certainly thought if the Committee had done him the honour to go on with the Report, every paragraph in it would have been supported by evidence. No one had a greater interest in the property of the farmer than he had ; but the great mischief, in his opinion, was that the farmer's had never been told what their real inte rest was. They had been taught to place great dependence upon the Corn. Laws, and such things—( Hear, hear)—and therefore it was that he was anxious to disclose to the farmer that they must not look solely to Parliament for a redress of their grievance, but to their landlords—(Cheers) —who should reduce their rents.—(Continued cheers, and cries of " Hear.") He really thought that any report to be satisfactory to the House or the public should have been unanimously agreed to by the Committee.—(Cheers.) It was his belief that it was not in the power of the Le gislature to do the farmer any great good, and he hoped ere long they would be con v i nce d o f that. Mr. HUME said the Committee was moved, at the earnest and anxious desire of the country gentlemen on the other side of the House.—(Cheers.) And if a Committee was to be appointed on so important a question—the Government were right in acceding to the request. He was glad to hear that it had ended as it had ; it was nothing more than he expected.—(Cheers-) But with respect to the statements of the Noble Marquis he would tell him that the parts of the evidince he had seen, instead of supporting, destroyed his case altogether.— (Cheers.) The labouring man was now in a better condi tion than he was before, or had been for many years. The great object of the Noble Lord was to take taxation off the landed interest. Why, what taxation did they bear?—(Cheers.) None, except for a few horses, and so on.---(Cheers.) The landed interest did not pay one-fourth of the taxes that other members of the community did.— (Cheers.) He differed with the Noble Marquis on the point of allowing the evidence to go forth to the public ; he wished it to do so, because he was sure it would make a case against the Noble Lord.—(Cheers.) Mr. E. DENNISON said the real question before the Committee was not whether they should agree to the report of the Chairman, but whether they should agree to any report at all. The course pursued was before the Chair man's report was considered, and the motion made that it should be taken into consideration, the Right Hon. Ba ronet, in order to save the time of the Committee, as he stated, said he would state his opinion on the subject, and on that motion he was seconded by the Noble Lord op posite. Sir C. 13. VERE thought it was the bounden duty of the Government or the House to draw a Report from this Committee. After agricultural distress had been so uni versally acknowledged—after the Legislature had been called upon by the Government to inquire into the nature and the causes of the distress—it certainly would be considered most strange that the Government had not taken any pains had not taken any step to induce the Committee to have laid some Report upon the table of the House. What, or to whom, were the agricultural body to look if they were so deserted by the Government and by that House - -they will enquire how it happened, and the conclusion they must come to will be a very disheartening one.— ( Hear, hear, hear.) The Report which had been drawn up could never have been sanctioned by the agricul tural body, it was preposterous. It was now said that the evidence was to be communicated to that body, but what possible satisfaction could that give them ? As the present Government refused to do justice as their duty by that body, lie hoped he would soon see another Goverutment in their places, who would do so. Mr. WAKLEY could not allow the statements which had been made with regard to the welfare of the labourers to go forth without enquiring whether any labourers had been called before the Committeee ; and if so, from what county were they selected. Several Hon. Members rose, but there was a general cry for— Lord JOHN RUSSELL, who said he was sorry that he had not been present at the commencement of the dis cussion, for he felt bound to afford such explanation as was in his power, after what had fallen from the Hon. Baronet opposite. The case stood thus—the Noble Lord, the Member for the county of Buckingham. had given notice of his intention of moving for a Committee to enquire into the causes of Agricultural Distress. The Government thought that from the many complaints which had been made of distress from the owners of land, but more particularly from the occupiers, it was fit that a Committee should be appointed at the same time in proposing that Committee, he did not state that there was any permanent measure of relief which could be pointed out by such a Committee, but that certain burdens, such as county rates and poor rates, they might inquire and point out whether those measures lately passed by the Legislature had been beneficial in their operation. The Committee had prosecuted its inquiries with great dili gence. He had said in Committee it would be unwise to put any fetters on the inquiries of. the Committee, and the consequence was that he believed the Committee went into an inquiry more extended than the Committee of 1833 had done. At the conclusion of their labours, but at the same time while there were a sufficient number of the Members of the Committee still in attendance, his Hon. Friend the Chairman of the Committee proposed the draft of a Report. That draft of the Report was communicated to him, along with other Members of the Committee. A meeting of the Committee was summoned to consider it, and at that meeting not less than 25 Members of the Com mittee attended, of whom 18 were Members for counties. chiefly representing agricultural districts. He had gone to the Committee, in the expectation that the draft Report was to be considered point by point, and he was then ready to give his opinion upon every sentence of it.—( Hear, hear.) To his great astonishment he found the Chairman of the Committee of 1833, his Right Hon. Friend (the Member for Cumberland) proposing to the Com mittee that the whole report should be suppressed, that not a word of it should be taken into consideration, but that a Resolution should be passed, saying that they should report only the evidence. He had thought that that was rather extraordinary, but his surprise was lessened, and his opinion was certainly a good deal changed, when the Noble Lord the Member for Buckinghamshire seconded that proposition.—( Cheers.) He was astonished to find that not only was it proposed to suppress that Report, but that those who had been calling out for months, not only for months, but for years.—(Hear, hear.) With respect to the distress of the agriculturists, he had no proposal to make—(Cheers)—had no definite remedy to propose upon Agricultural Distress.—(Renewed cheers.) He had stated to the Committee it was his wish they should give their opinion with respect to the Poor Laws, and the new Poor Law Bill was in operation. that they should give their opinion with respect to a remedy regarding tithes, and that it was his wish likewise, that they should come to some opi nion or other with respect to the question of the currency, which had been much inquired into by that Committee. He had declared himself ready to enter into those questions, and that he would endeavour to make his opinions prevail, but if his opinions did not prevail, he was ready to say the Committee agreed to a re port stating the opi n i ons o f the majority of that Committee. Under these circumstances, he did say the Government were not responsible that the Committee had not come to any other result. His Noble Friend had stated that the Committee not coming to any other report, nega tived the statements that had been made with re gard to agricultural distress, and the remedies that had been proposed.—(Hear.) He concurred in that opinion.—(Cheers.) The result of the whole was, that admitting, as he must do, the distress that had existed for some years among the occupiers of land, a distress which he had always lamented, but which he hoped was now diminishing, that it was'noi by a change in the currency, that it was not by a repeal of the Malt Tax, that it was not by any specific measure that Parliament could apply that that agricultural distress could be relieved. He had not been forward in calling himself an advocate of the agricultural interest—(Hear, hear.)—he had not been forward in summoning meetings of farmers—(Hear, hear, hear)—he had not been forward in saying that one party was the friend of the agricultural interest.— as a member of the Administration, ,assing a Bill that wotld prevent abuses. administration of the Poor Laws, and would benefit the agriculturists. hoped that the fact of the Committee port would not be considered as a proof that great distress did not exist. He thought that the Committee were not doing their duty in separating without making a Report.--(Loud cheers.) The farmers throughout the country could not spare time to wade through the whole or the evidence, and therefore the Committee ought at best to have drawn up a summary.—(Hear, hear.) Sir R. PEEL, as a Member of the Committee, thought it necessary to say a few words. When the Committee was appointed, he gave a reluctant assent. He gave an as sent to it upon these express terms. He knew that distress prevailed in many parts of the country, and he knew what were the feelings of those who witnessed that dis tress, and who were suffering from it., he therefore acceded to this inquiry upon this single ground, that it might in some degree reconcile the parties to endure the distress that could not be remedied. He could not con ceal from himself the fact that the only public tax bearing directly upon the agricultural interest to any important amendment was the Malt Tax. That was a subject of so much importance, connected as it was with the whole financial concerns of the country that he felt satisfied the House would reserve to itself a deliberate judgment upon it, and would not take the report of a Committee with respect to its reduction.—(Hear, hear, and loud - cheers.) He was not disappointed that the Committee had not agreed upon a report. He was sure that his Honourable Friends would naturally feel surprised at the absence of a report, but he was equally sure that their surprise and disappointment were comparatively small to that which they would have felt if the Committee had presented a Report. LEFT SPEAKING.) HOUSE OF LORDS. The Lord CHANCELLOR took his seat on the Woolsack at five o'clock. MESSAGE FROM THE COMMONS. A Message from the Commons brought up the Hunger ford and Lambeth Suspension Bridge Bill and the Swansea Harbour Bill. TREMONTHA RAILWAY HARBOUR. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY laid on the table the Report of the Committee on the Tremontha Railway Harbour Bill. The Bishop of EXETER presented a petition from Northumberland against the appropriation of the revenues of the See of Durham. also a petition from the Provincial Synod of Aberdeen, ex pressing their strong objection to the Scotch Universities Bill ; and a petition praying that the interests of the Church of England might be preserved in any measure introduced for the regulation of marriages, from the Archdeaconry of Exeter. Viscount MELBOURNE presented petitions from con• gregations of Protestant Dissenters praying for the redress of grievances. SEE OF DURHAM. The Marquis of LONDONDERRY presented peti tions from Hartlepool, Stockton-upon-Tees, South Shields, and about twenty other places in the e * O - iristy of Durham, against any appropriation of the revenues of the See Durham. The Noble Marquis then presented a petition from the Clergy of the Diocese of Durham, to which he begged to call the serious attention of the House. The petitioners who comprized all the working*Clergy of the Dioceses, prayed that any surplus revenues which might arise from the new arrangement relative to that See, would be appropriated to local purposes. He regretted that the Noble Duke (Cleveland) was not in his place, that he might hear what his opinions upon that subject were, so far as the first Report of the Church Commissioners went, he did not find that it went to the extent of abstracting the whole revenues of a dio cese from local purposes, although it certainly did recom mend the appointment of two new Bishops. In the second report the amount to be abolished from each Bishopric was stated, but in three eases the Commissioners had appropriated the surplus to local purposes. He com plained, however, that in the case of Durham, the entire surplus amounting to a sum of 41,000/. was to be taken away from that country.---(Hear, hear.) The Noble Marquis then entered into some statistical details relative to the diocese of Durham, for the purpose of showing that the spiritual wants of the people were un attended to, and that they also required a sum to be set apart for their education, there being upwards of 23,000 children now without the means of education, a great portion of whom had been educated at the expense of the late Bishop. The Noble Marquis concluded by moving for the appointment of a Select Committee, to whom should be referred the petition from the county of Durham, and the statements of the clergy of that diocese, and to report whether it would not be expedient to make further i iquiries previous to appropriating any portion of its revenues, and to delay any legislative measure on the tul)jett till next Session. After a few words from the Archbishop of CANTERBURY ; Lord MELBOURNE rose, and was LEFT SPEAKING, REPORT from SELECT COMMITTEE ON LONDON AND DUBLIN ROADS. Ordered,—That a Select Committee be appointed to in quire into the existing communication between London and Dublin, and to consider what improvement could be made therein :—And a Committee was appointed of— Mr. O'Connell. Sir Love Jones Parry. Mr. Shaw. Mr. Williams Wynn. Mr. E wart. Mr. Ormsby Gore. Captain Paget. Mr. William Crawford. Mr. Edward John Stanley. Mr. Thomas Attwood. Mr. Jervis. Sir Henry Parnell. Mr. Lloyd Mostyn. L or d Vi sc ount Cli ve . ... Mr. Assiieton Ordered,—That the Committee have power to send fcr persons, papers, and records. Ordered—That five be the quorum. REPORT. The Select Committee appointed to inquire into the exist ing communication between London and Dublin, and to consider what improvement could be made therein, and to whom two petitions from Brecon and Cardigan were re ferred, have considered the matters referred to them, and agreed to the following resolutions : Resolved—That the Chairman be directed to move the House, That an humble Address be presented to his Ma jesty, requesting that his Majesty will be graciously pleased to direct that an immediate survey be made of the harbours of Liverpool, Holyhead, and Port Dynllaen, and of such other points on the western coast of England and Wales as may appear suitable for a direct communication between London and Dublin, so as to ascertain the respective qua lifications and capacities of improvement of each as a packet harbour between Dublin and London, and also as a har bour of refuge for the trade passing up and down the Irish Channel, with a view to such surveys being laid before Parliament. Resolved—That the Chairman be directed to move the House. That an humble Address be presented to his Ma jesty, requesting that his Majesty will be graciously pleased to direct a survey to be made of the country intermediate between Holyhead, and also between Port Dynllaen har bours, and also between such other ports as may appear upon such surveys desirable as such packet station, and the nearest railroads already sanctioned by Parliament, with the view of ascertaining and reporting the best and most convenient line of railway communication between Dublin and London. SALE OF THE EFFECTS OF THE LATE BARRY O'MEARA, ESQ. SECOND DAY.—Tuesday morning the sale of the highly interesting and varied effects of this Gentleman was re sumed, at his residence, No. 16, Cambridge-terrace, Edg ware-road, by Mr. George Robins. The rooms of the house were, as on the previous day, crowded with the e lit e of the neighbourhood, and with the same sprinkling of Jew brokers as heretofore. Mr. ROBINS, after a few general prefatory observations, proceeded to submit to sale the Lots enumerated as pre sents, relics, and curiosities._ _ Lot 1. A magnificent Turkish sabre, with a real Da mascus blade and chased handle—which, Mr. Robins stated, had been worn by Napoleon in Egypt, who pre sented it to his brother, Prince Louis, by whom it was given to Mr. O'Meara, and which, therefore, must be considered as a most important and curious relic. This lot was knocked down for 15 guineas. 2. A richly chased silver-gilt snuff-box, with curiously engraved entablatures ; 211. 2s. 5. A most exquisitely carved full-length ivory miniature of Napoleon, standing on a plinth, which represents a beau tifully raised carving of his tomb at St. Helena--61.65. 29. A beautiful Pontifical ring, consisting of an ame thyst set in gold, on which is engraved in relief the head of Christ, and presented to Mr. O'Meara by Cardinal Fesch, who, it is said, considered it the most costly curious relic in his possession -121. Is. Gd. _ 33. A tooth of Napoleon Bonaparte, extracted by Mr. O'Meara at St. Helena-71. 17s. Gd. 34. The instrument with which the tooth wa3 extracted—. 31. 3s. The sale will terminate to-morrow, when the paintings, arms, armour, and wines, presents at different times from Napoleon and his family to the late possessor, will be dis posed of. Several of the " Swell Mob" were in atten dance ; but owing to the timely caution of Mr. Robins at the commencement of the auction; their efforts were, as it wa4 understood, rendered ineffectual. THE PORT UfIaJESE ELECTORAL - SY6 - r_EAL The system which exists here is simpi l e eno u mass of the inhabitants of each parish elect de2e,gates in the h. he ratio of one to each 1,000 houses : a parish 0t'2,000 re turning two delegates ; 3,000, three delegates, and so on. The delegates, thus elected Ly the various parishes into which' each province is divided, assemble in the capital of the province, and elect the whole number of members allotted to that province, which is in the proportion of ono deputy to twenty-five thousand inhabitants. Thus the city of Lisbon alone elects forty-six delegates, who, together with those chosen by the various rural dis tricts, will meet here to elect twenty members for the pro vince of Estremadura. The qualification for the first body of Electors is the possession of 100 milrees, 251. per annum, or 10s. per week, arising from real property, ca pital, industry, trade, or any public office. It is partizularly stated, that by industry is to be understood employment both in the liberal professions, and in the mechanic arts, " A industria se entende ser tanto a das artes liiieraes , como a das artes mechanicas." With the exception of minors, sons who, though not minors, are living under the paternal roof, certain classes of religions orders, hired ser vants, and those disqualified by criminal sentence, or phy sical or moral capacity, it may be said that every Portu guese citizen in possession of 10s.- a week has a vote for the delegate of his parish. By this extensive constituency, therefore, the parochial delegates are chosen. Now what are the qualifications of the parochial delegates ofthis middle class, who have to elect the representatives-of the country ?-0e qualification is just double that of the primary constituency', 200 milrees per annum, i. e. four milrees, or 11. per week, is the qualification required for each of the forty-six dele gates which Lisbon will shortly appoint, and which will no less decide the whole election of the Estremadura. The only thing that remains is the qualification for deputies, which, again, is just twice that • for the immediate consti tuency, the parochial delegates bein g 400 milrees, or 100 1 . per annum. The revenue of the delegate and of the de puty is derivable from the same sources as that of the paro chial elector, and the only exclusion is, that with respect to deputies naturalized foreigners are not eligible. In looking at this system we perceive an electoral body more democratic than that of England--while the Deputies are eligible upon a qualification of the lowest value ; and to this it must be added, that during the sitting of the Cortes they receive a fixed sum to defray their expenses. It may, indeed, be said that the indirect mode of election, by placing a kind of middle class between the mass of the population and the Deputy, corrects an undue force which the system might otherwise give to numbers as compared with property. But, perhaps, when we consider the qua lification of this class, and consider that we have to elect, not in assemblies of three, or five, or seven, like the delegates of the Scotch United borough - ;under the old system,one or two members for a town or county, but assembling in large numbers_ to elect the Deputies for a whole province, we may, perhaps, come to the conclusion that there is very little, if any, check given to the democratic working of the system, while this wholesale mode of election must do away with those influences of neighbourhood, of personal respect, and of property, which, however they may be is sonic instances carried to too great an extent, in England are, nevertheless, not without salutary effects in their general and most frequent operation. Another result of this system is, that those separate interests which are represented in England are unrepresented here. We have only to consider this system transferred to England. Make a province of the metropolis and its surrounding counties , and instead of the cities of London and Westminster, and the boroughs of Marylebone and the Tower Hamlets , &c. &c., having their interests represented, whilst the people of Kent, Essex, Middlesex, Surrey, and their towns are also represented, imagine them swamped into one great mass, returning forty or fifty Members chosen in the way I have stated ; and when we consider that they receive pay, and have only a nominal qualification, we may form a pretty good estimate of the working of this system in a country where political knowledge is so greatly in a rrear , and where that accumulated mass of capital and general diffusion of affluence, which, without any qualification , would probably suffice to correct and give stability to anY system in England, are not to be found. When people, wonder how the Constitution of England survives amid the wreck of their more gaudy but less solid structures , they do not see the ballast that she carries. I have only further to add, that both parties are confident of a majority , and a short time will decide this important question. On Thursday the annual meeting of hop-growers took place at Lower Hardres, near Canterbury. The muster was strong, several of the large planters of the neighbourhoo d being present. The duty was laid at 250,0001., and an opi" nion extensively prevailed that if the season continued equally favourable as at the p resen t ti me , th e d u ty wou ld exceed 300,0001. SAGACITY OF A HORSE.—The feJlowing all but incredible instance of animal sagacity is found in the Plymou th Chronicle of last Saturday :—As a man was driving a cart' loaded with lime, from the kiln near Deadman's Bay to Co side, the lime set fire to the cart. The man, to save his pro perty, with great promptitude tilted the lime into the road, an d hastened back to the beach at Deadman's Bay, where he drove his horse into the water and extinguished the flames, but tho cart coming int o c o nt ac t w ith a h ea p o f s t ones l a yi n g unde r water, turned over, and precipitated the driver into the see; A man and boy seeing the accident, instantly put off in a n oh! leaky boat, standing on the shore ; but when they arrived at the spot, the driver had just hank for the third time. Neithe r of the parties could swim, but the man in the boat seeing 0 1 body about three feet under water, with great presence mind fixed his leg under the thwart, and by throwing hi s aro° and should ers over , suc ceed e d in catching the poor fellow by the hair of his head, and held him on while the boy sculled 013 shore, the boat by this time being nearly full of water. May while the horse, in his alarm, had made seaward with the car t s and he was given up for lost, when, strange as it may see ol 4 another horse standing on the beach, with harness on, who 1 01 been attentively surveying the scene, plui;ged into the watep and made after his friend in distress, whom Le soon over too!t ; and applying his m ou th t o th e a ff r i g ht e d an imal's ears, 11 0 , seemed to whisper som e thi n g ; he then turned about, loudly to encourage his companion, when the latter also turtl e ,. and followed his gallant leader to the beach, where they bo tP arrived in safety. Sunday morning, during the reading of the morning service in the parish church of Preston, and just whet' tb tl minister (the Rev. T. Clark) had finished the second lessottf a noise was heard by that part of the congregation in the bodt of the church as if of the falling of a portion of the r o b which was in fact the case, part o f th e ce ili ng i n the soot gallery having come down with considerable force ; this be! 3o followed with some screaming by the Sunday-school childrf e who are placed in that gallery, and a general bustle of t! 1 , 9 hearers up stairs to make th e b es t of their way down. P, those person s w h o were b e l ow h a d n o means o f asce rtainict the extent of the danger, a general panic prevailed, and mani c ruddy countenances turned pale as death. The aisles V t choked up, a n d th e more nimble of th e gen tl emen did not make their egress by the regular way—the pow door-- - b u f strided over the sides of the seats; and so great a sense l9 c danger prevailed, that husbands (who ought to be of the Me!, use in such an emergency) very ungallantly left their farnili e n to scramble out by them seves . M eanw hil e , some gentleol, a o in the gallery, who, by thi s ti me , h a d seen t h e extent o f t" danger, called out to th ose i n t h e centre o f t he c h urc h to roe main in their seats. The minister also re-echoed the sa m . advice, and, afte r a s h or t ti me , many o f t h em returne d to tbel l places, and remained durin g th e serv i ce; o th ers , h owev er, b°' came so agitated and afraid that they went home. It is forth' nate that the alarm did not occur during the evening lectur e " as the consequence s w ou ld, i n a ll pro b a bili ty , h ave b ee n ve r .' serious, and most likely attended with loss of life.—Prest on Pilot. HIGHLANDS.—It is worthy of remark that, sin e the new Post-office arrangement, a person may dine in Edin' burgh one day and breakfast in Inverness the next. His din' ner hour must not be quite so fashionable as that of Beall Brummell, who amused the audience in Covent-garden theat r , one night by calling out to a person in the opposite box, r t tween the play and farce, " Where do you dine to-day ?" I , e b it need not be qu it e so ear l y as th a t o f Q ueen Eli za b et h, viin' t was exactly at noon. The mail coach leaves Edinburgh „ I `f four o'clock in the aft ernoon , passes throu g h th e f a i r 60'; Perth, and jo u rn e yi ng on d ur ing the ni g ht, arr i ves i n Inve r t ness by half-past ten the following morning. C om merc e o men may thus, after completing their busines s i n th e Mode r l , Athens in one day, throw themselves into th e ma il, a nd be 1 the heart of the Highlands next day, in exc e ll en t t i me to O r % mcnce operations in Inverness. This rapidity of movement I l e a public vehicle so far north, would have seemed improba h , twenty years ago, and sixty years since would h ave been Pr o nounced impossible.—lnverness Courier. CROPS.—The accounts from most parts of Irelo, concur in representing the appearance of the grain crops:, very favourable, particularly wheat. W e regret to a dd, h c . ) ever, that there has been an extensive failure in many distri c in the potato crop. On removing; the western w a ll o f th e o ld Rol lo l 3 , theatre, lately at'Lillebonne, in the Seine Inferieur, a s e n uo circular wall raised with ou t any cement, o f t h e ca lcaree o stone of the country, was discovered extending t o a bout, ; t feet. The stones h a d ev id ent l y f orme d part of some anc l i. building erected f or f unera l purposes, as 2 5 o f t h em a re 11 _, ° 0 1 lowed into rude forms f or d e p os iti ng t h e as h es o f person em low conditi on . Th ere are no i nscr i pt i ons upon any o f t tor, except four, u p on w hi c h are t h e names M ecacus , 5en,. 2 0 0 Horatilla, and A prona . A mong t h em were ot h er ston es % jo b the banks of St. L eu , covere d w ith scu l p t ure , and woe must have formed parts of rich a n d i m p or t an t t om bs. oo f seem to represent members of families with the emblen l o a death, and are ornamented with palms and o th e r foliage ,i ie b bold and free style, and some traces of th e co l ou rs with vr' o o f they have been painted are to be seen. From the reina l9 , 4 o an inscription on one of the stones, it appears to have 1 ; 7 ;0 erected to the memory of Marcianus by his father. Tti!ds. must have been erected at a very early period, as its 10 " ed to tion was laid upon a primitive stratum.. It is suPF °5 f the have been the work of the times of the first irruptions 0 _ or barbarians, about the period of the decline of the Rom an _ be pire in this country. There valuable fragments are,roolt t posited in the Museum of Antiquities at Rome.. --•-c 1 aper. iabers of the Government has (Cheers.) ,But .he, ing'l6 ,had succeeded; in pa: d object o . - ,,rexpect to the Lto him, and to the Other Y 7 = uc that Nti*l to what had been the course pur N'-, % G0-11.E`- . Lord . theSecretary of State for the not making a rei THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1536.